--- title: "Preview: Forecasters See Japanese Unemployment Rate Flat at 2.6% in Jan." type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/273763323.md" description: "Japan's unemployment rate is expected to remain steady at 2.6% in December, marking the fifth consecutive month at this level. Despite a rise in the number of unemployed individuals to 1.71 million, labor shortages are driving payroll increases, with employment rising by 480,000 year-on-year. The Bank of Japan's Tankan survey indicates intensified labor shortages, particularly in smaller firms, contributing to a continuous year-on-year employment growth." datetime: "2026-01-27T00:18:00.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/273763323.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/273763323.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/273763323.md) --- # Preview: Forecasters See Japanese Unemployment Rate Flat at 2.6% in Jan. Friday, Jan. 30, 2026 0830 JST (2330 GMT/1830 EST Thursday, Jan. 29) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases December jobs. Mace News median: 2.6% (range: 2.5% to 2.6%) vs. 2.6% in the previous four months, over 5-year low of 2.3% in July, 2.5% from March to June Japan’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is seen staying unchanged at 2.6% in December for a fifth straight month, while persistent, broad-based labor shortages are expected to continue lifting domestic payrolls, marking a 41st consecutive year-on-year increase. This outlook is underscored by the latest Bank of Japan Tankan sentiment survey, which shows labor shortages have intensified across sectors, particularly among smaller firms. In November, employment rose 480,000 from a year earlier to 68.62 million, led by gains in industries such as medical and welfare services, information and telecommunications, and construction. Meanwhile, the number of unemployed rose 70,000 on the year to 1.71 million in November, as 60,000 people entered the labor market, began looking for work and were counted as jobless. ### Related Stocks - [1397.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/1397.JP.md) - [513520.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/513520.CN.md) - [03153.HK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/03153.HK.md) - [1597.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/1597.JP.md) - [513880.CN](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/513880.CN.md) ## Related News & Research - [BOJ's Koeda calls for rate hike at 'appropriate pace'](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287142867.md) - [BOJ board member Masu calls for early rate hike, joins hawkish chorus](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286365222.md) - [UK jobless rate reaches 5% as US payrolls surge](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286939725.md) - [UK jobless rate hits 5% as vacancies drop to five-year low](https://longbridge.com/en/news/286909458.md) - [BoJ Koeda says the BoJ must keep assessing how firmly underlying inflation expectations remain anchored](https://longbridge.com/en/news/287144158.md)